Gotham Nightmare
by Son Queso
Summary: Vampire's have infested Gotham. But something Darker is in the dark City as well, and it allies it's self with the Tommorow Knight... Chapter 3 beta now up!. R&R Please
1. Chapter One

Gotham Nightmare.  
  
Chapter One  
  
*This story is set after Terry graduates from high school, but before he starts college. Yes, it is a crossover. All characters copyright 2001 DC comics and/or Warner Bros. I don't own Terry McGinnis or Bruce Wayne. I do, however, own all characters I created which are mentioned in this story. *  
  
  
  
The smell of exhaust filled the chilly night air, the sounds of motorcycle engines and mad laughter drowning out the screams of a young mother and her infant son…  
  
Fortunately for her, someone had heard her screams.  
  
The Jokerz circled their bikes around the young mother, just another victim to them. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she tried to quiet her child.  
  
A female Joker pounced, and yanked the child away from the mother.  
  
"NO! Please give back my baby!" The female Joker giggled, and smacked the mother with a rubber chicken.  
  
And then came a whirring sound, and something black knocked the chicken from the Joker's hand.  
  
"I think you need a Time Out," A dark figure growled as it landed in front of the mother. The figure stood to it's full height, and the Jokerz instinctively backed away. The Batman approached the Joker who had taken the woman's child, and gently scooped it up. He turned slightly to the mother. "Here," he said as he handed the child back to the mother. Without another word, she scooped up the baby and ran.  
  
Batman turned back to the Jokerz. "Ok, boys and girls. Play time."  
  
The Jokerz rushed the Tomorrow Knight, and the Batman was ready for them. The lead Joker swung his chain at the Batman's head, which he easily avoided. The Bat reached up, grabbing the chain and pulling the Joker toward him. Batman rammed his knee into the Jokerz gut, and swung the clown- faced goon into a nearby brick wall.  
  
The female Joker ran forward, snagging her chicken off the ground and lashed out at the Bat. Batman grabbed the chicken and wrenched it out of the Joker's hand, smashing it mercilessly into the base of her neck, knocking her unconscious.  
  
Upon seeing their leader and his girl taken down, the rest of the Jokerz wisely turned tail and ran, leaving their leader to his fate.  
  
As the sound of motorcycle engines faded into the night, Batman stretched and stifled a yawn. After gift-wrapping the 2 Jokerz for the GCPD, he summoned the Batmobile. He hopped into the cockpit of the sleek car, and turned on the autopilot.  
  
"Anything else before I go," Terry yawned into his com-link.  
  
"There's a fire alarm at the Corner of Kane Avenue and Sprang Street. Do a fly by and see if the FD has everything under control," the craggy voice of Bruce Wayne ordered.  
  
"On it."  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
The figure of a man pulled himself from the icy waters of Gotham harbor. Dripping wet, he plopped down on the dock, he stirred, and stood, shaking himself dry like a dog, and taking in his surroundings. A bar on his left, loud obnoxious music blaring from within. Docks. Warehouses. More docks. A hooker…  
  
His eyes froze on the hooker, and in turn, she smiled and approached him. The man smiled also, as the woman came within an arms length of him.  
  
"First time in Gotham," the harlot asked. She was blonde. He liked blondes.  
  
"No, no," he replied quietly. "Return trip." She snuggled up against his chest and absently drew her finger along his torso.  
  
"So… what brings you back," She asked with a grin.  
  
The man smiled in return. "The food." Before she could question the man further, she noticed the long gleaming fangs. She tried to turn from him, but his arms were already around her waist. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in her throat, and someone started screaming.  
  
Right before the blackness of death consumed her, she realized who screamed…  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
Inside a private jet, a tall man in an Italian cut suit sat studying a report displayed on his laptop. With an annoyed grimace, he snapped his computer shut. It had been entirely too long since he had left. The old man would be happy to see him… that is, if the old could ever be said to be happy.  
  
Nonetheless, he had business to attend to, and his private jet was making it's final approach to the airport. He picked up his cell phone and dialed a number.  
  
"Hello," Came a female voice with a British accent.  
  
"The jet's on final approach… any luck finding him," The man on the jet asked.  
  
"Not yet. No unusual new reports… we'll unusual for that area anyway. If he's there, he's being awful quiet…"  
  
The man on the jet snorted. "He's here alright. Keep in contact, Bekka."  
  
"Of course. Give my regards to Ojiisan*, love."  
  
A wiry smile quirked his mouth. "I'll be sure to do that. Love you." With that, the man snapped his phone shut, his fingers steepled thoughtfully.  
  
"Sir, we're about to land. Please fasten your safety belt.." The man did as he was asked, and a few moments later he had arrived in Gotham City.  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
The FD had everything under control, so Wayne told Terry to head back. Gratefully, he did just that. The Batmobile docked with a soft thud, and terry hopped out of the cockpit.  
  
Wayne was where he always was: At the giant computer that was the heart of his crime-fighting machine. Terry stifled another yawn. "Fire's under control, and Gotham is safe for one more night."  
  
"Hnnh." Wayne replied. Terry yawned again.  
  
"Ug. You think you could give me a lift home? I think I'm gonna fall asleep where I stand."  
  
Wayne swiveled around to regard the boy in his suit. McGinnis pulled off the mask. There were dark circles under his eyes, two days worth of stubble. "There's a bed in the cave. You can sleep here. I'll cover for you," Wayne stated as he stood. The old man froze, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Quickly, he surveyed the cave, looking for the intruder he knew couldn't have gotten in.  
  
Terry sensed it to, but on a much lower level. "What's wrong," he asked the former Batman.  
  
Wayne relaxed. "Nothing. Lets get you to bed while you can still walk." With that, the old man led Terry to a chamber in the center of the cave.  
  
Neither of them noticed the pair of crimson eyes peering them from the shadows.  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
Terry slept like a rock that day. When he awoke at 4:30, Wayne was exactly where Terry expected him to be: the computer again. Wearing only a pair of boxers, Terry shuffled up behind Wayne.  
  
"When do you sleep, anyway," Terry asked, yawning yet again.  
  
"Last night, just before Day break, the body of a young woman was found at pier 3 of Gotham Harbor…" The old man began without looking at Terry.  
  
"Hooker," Terry asked.  
  
"Yes," Wayne stated as he turned to look at his protégé. "But that's not the important part. The important part is that her body was drained of all blood… through two small puncture marks on her neck."  
  
"Somebody's been watching too many old movies."  
  
Wayne grunted. "In any case, be careful. Sundown is in 25 minutes. Suit up."  
  
Terry turned to leave, and Wayne keyed some info up on the computer. His gut told him that something was about to go terribly wrong… if only he knew what…  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
Batman perched on a stone Gargoyle atop Wayne Tower. He scanned the cityscape below him: diamonds spread out on a sheet of black velvet.  
  
"It's quiet tonight." Batman whispered.  
  
"I don't like it," Wayne growled. "Check the harbor. Our friend from last night may decide to pay another visit." With out a word, Batman leapt from the tower, his wings sliding into place and catching the wind.  
  
He didn't notice the ragged patch of the night that ripped from the shadows to follow him… 


	2. Chapter Two

Gotham Nightmare.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
*This story is set after Terry graduates from high school, but before he starts college. Yes, it is a crossover. All characters copyright 2001 DC comics and/or Warner Bros. I don't own Terry McGinnis or Bruce Wayne. I do, however, own all characters I created which are mentioned in this story. *  
  
The salty smell of seawater permeated the air. Not that he could smell the salt. His body could only smell one thing. Blood. And some was very close by. Warily, he scanned his surroundings, looking for the source of the blood scent. It was coming from the warehouses. He made his way to the warehouses, sniffing the air.  
  
"He's heading right towards me, Wayne... and he's smelling the air..." Batman whispered. He clung to the wall of a warehouse in stealth mode. "I think he knows I'm here..."  
  
"Impossible. Nothing short of a heat detector could see you," Wayne snorted.  
  
Terry didn't reply, as the man floated up to where Terry clung, and sniffed the air again. Irrational fear gripped Batman as the man brought his face with in an inch of his own.  
  
The man was horribly deformed. It looked like someone had taken a hammer to the man's forehead and smashed his brow ridge down. He had no eyebrows, his eyes were those of a cat, his mouth was filled with sharp looking fangs.  
  
"Whatever you're doing, stop it. I can't see you, but I can smell your blood," The deformed man hissed.  
  
Wayne was roaring through the com-link. "Get out of there McGinnis! Right now!" The man inched closer, his mouth opening. Two very sharp looking fangs elongated from his canine teeth. He was coming close to the Batman's neck...  
  
"That's far enough," an icy cold demonic voice rasped. The vampire whipped around.  
  
"YOU," he snarled, and leapt away from Terry. Batman breathed a sigh of relief as he decloaked. Then a movement from the shadows caught his eye.  
  
No... it was a movement of THE shadows themselves. They were bubbling for lack of a better term.  
  
Batman blinked, not believing his eyes as a tall figure flowed from the inky blackness. The shadows seemed to rip from the wall and form around him, cloaking the figure in darkness.  
  
"Are you seeing this Wayne?"  
  
There was no response, or if there was one, Terry didn't hear it. He was transfixed on the scene below.  
  
The shadows had shifted, forming a pitch-black ankle length duster around the human figure. Bladed blood red gauntlets adorned his forearms; his legs and chest were covered in dark body armor. A board hat topped his black featureless face, and long brown hair spilled down his back. Two long chains dangled from his hips. And he was huge. Every inch of his body was muscle.  
  
The vampire circled around him, moving cautiously.  
  
"I thought I lost you in L.A..." The vampire rasped as he readied himself for a fight. The Shadow man didn't say a word, instead, he just held his hand out to his side and opened his palm.  
  
A jagged patch of blackness ripped from the wall the man had emerged from and took form in his hand. The vampire swallowed hard. A gleaming sword was now gripped firmly in the Shadow man's fist. Shadow man crouched and motioned the vampire to come on.  
  
The vampire turned tail and ran. Shadow man relaxed almost instantly, the sword vanishing form his hand, and he shifted to regard Batman. With a curt nod, the man shattered like a pain of black glass, and was gone.  
  
Batman stood there for a moment, blinking. "Wayne... what.... Did you just see what I saw???"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You have any idea what the hell it was," McGinnis asked.  
  
Wayne was silent for almost 2 whole minutes, and then finally answered. "It was a Nightmare." Terry was about to ask more but Wayne spoke up. "Get back to the Cave. I'll explain when you get here..."  
  
Terry grunted in response, and took one more quick look around the dock. Satisfied there was nothing let for him to do here, he snapped his wings into place and disappeared into the night.  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
The man from the jet plane calmly checked his wristwatch, and smirked to himself. If the old man was anything like he remembered, he would most defiantly still be awake. He jammed his free hand into the pocket of his long black trench coat and pulled out his cell phone. He pushed a single button and waited for someone to pick up.  
  
"Ring, ring, ring, a ding, ding, ding bob, bob, bob, bob-a-Barbara Ann Heya," a hyper sounding male voice answered.  
  
The man could help chuckling. "Tony. Where's Bekka? It's important."  
  
"...Well... to be honest... she's in my back pocket...." Tony replied.  
  
"Don't make me reach through the phone and strangle you, Tony..."  
  
"She asleep. She's hot... want to touch the hinny... but anyway.. what can I do you for, Lancey?"  
  
Lance sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that.. anyway.. I was wondering if you had any new info on our 'friend'..."  
  
"Well.. it turns out Johnny is a drug dealer... and he thinks God smokes cannabis... Oh! You mean our 'friend!'" Tony grew silent for a moment while he looked for what Lance wanted. "Well it turns out Mr. Satin has turned some of the most notorious mob guys throughout New York to his way of un-life. But so far he's only done the sucky sucky thing to one hooker in good ol' Gotham."  
  
"Old news. I'm gonna go see the Old Man. Keep me posted..."  
  
"Well... you already knew what we knew so you'll know new stuff before we do... Later."  
  
Lance smirked as the line went dead. He checked his surroundings quickly, making sure no one saw him, and he quickly dashed into a nearby alley.  
  
With the sound of shattering glass, Lance was gone.  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
Bruce Wayne was feeling very impatient. And worried. Very worried. He had had his suspicions before, and they had been confirmed: at least one Vampire was in Gotham City. And where there was one Vampire, more would follow.  
  
The sound of turbine engines filled the huge cavern, and inwardly, Wayne sighed. Soon came a soft thud, and the sound of the cowling sliding back. Terry exited the craft and proceeded over to Wayne.  
  
"Okay. Answers please," McGinnis said as he tossed his cowl onto the keyboards.  
  
Wayne turned and regarded the young man in the suit sternly. "What attacked you was a vampire..." Terry stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"Vampire.. as in 'I've come to suck you blood, drink from me and live forever' Vampire??" Wayne cocked a single eyebrow.  
  
"It good to know you at least paid attention in some of your classes..." Wayne paused a moment. "...and yes. Vampire."  
  
"Well that explains the fangs and the bad breath. And the floating. What I'm wondering about is that... Shadow guy. You saw what I saw. What was THAT?"  
  
Wayne was about to reply, but was cut off by a new voice. An ice cold voice.  
  
"I prefer to be called by my name."  
  
McGinnis grabbed the cowl and hurriedly pulled it over his face to turn and confront the intruder. He promptly froze in his tracks.  
  
The cave wall was rippling, just like the one in the alley had earlier that night. And then, out stepped the Shadow Man. The temperature in the cave instantly seemed to drop 30 degrees.  
  
Terry instinctively slid into a fighting stance, and flicked a batarang into his hand. "Alright ShadowMan, that's close enough. What do you want?"  
  
The Shadow man chuckled, and it sent chills down Terry's spine. "Relax," Was all Shadow man said. Terry did relax slightly, but didn't drop his guard.  
  
"Alright. First off... just what the hell are you? That.. Thing you did at the docks was... I don't know what it was..."  
  
"I'm a demon. At least partially," the dark figure replied. Something in the atmosphere shifted, and the cave seemed to grow warmer "And the name's not ShadowMan," the Shadow man replied in a very normal sounding voice, "... it's Nightmare." The Shadow man... Nightmare looked up at Terry to reveal a normal looking face instead of the featureless black void he swore he saw earlier. "Bekka sends her Love, Ojiisan."  
  
Wayne slowly swiveled around in his chair to regard Nightmare. He looked the man right in the face, and offered a grunt as his reply.  
  
Terry looked at Nightmare, then at Bruce, and then back at Nightmare.  
  
"I thought you didn't want to be a crime fighter," Wayne asked in a low monotone. Nightmare shrugged.  
  
"It wasn't my choice..." Nightmare replied. Suddenly, his mode shifted. "I didn't come here to talk about old times, Bruce."  
  
Wayne snorted.  
  
Terry cleared his throat. "Someone mind filling me in?"  
  
Nightmare grunted. "I'm assuming you know what you saw tonight?"  
  
"A Vampire."  
  
"The vamp you saw is named Anthony Satin. He's a Master Vampire. I know how you are about your city, Bruce, and I'm not expecting your or Batman's help on this...."  
  
Bruce turned and glared at Nightmare for what seemed like an eternity. "I want you out of my city..." Nightmare simply nodded, and his presence shifted again sending chills down both the current and former Batman's spines. Terry shot a look at Wayne, which would freeze any other man's blood. Wayne grunted in response.  
  
"I'm going with you," Terry stated. Nightmare glanced back at Wayne, who nodded an affirmative.  
  
As the two dark figures exited the cave, Wayne couldn't help feeling a sense of dread build up in his gut. 


	3. Chapter Three

Gotham Nightmare.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
*This story is set after Terry graduates from high school, but before he starts college. Yes, it is a crossover. All characters copyright 2001 DC comics and/or Warner Bros. I don't own Terry McGinnis or Bruce Wayne. I do, however, own all characters I created which are mentioned in this story. *  
  
Damn it. DAMN IT. Anthony Satin unconsciously vamped out and smashed his fist through the nearest thing he could find. The crate nearly exploded, and sent wood shards flying. He thought he had finally lost that pathetic halfling Nightmare when he jumped ship and headed to Gotham.  
  
He suddenly looked up, as another presence entered the room.  
  
"I'm hungry…" the former hooker named Claire purred as she wrapped her arms around Satin's waist from behind. Satin's demonic visage faded as he glanced at Claire.  
  
"Feeding time will come soon, sweet," He whispered to her as he inhaled deeply, catching a fowl scent he knew well on the air. "But first… we have business to attend to…"  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
Batman perched himself atop Wayne Tower once again, listening to the wind howling. Nightmare was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"So. You gonna fill me in on our new friend, or do I get to play guessing games all night," Batman rasped into his com link.  
  
Wayne grunted, and after a long minute replied, "I trained him a few years back. Said he didn't want a thing to do with crime fighting, just wanted to learn the martial arts…"  
  
"That's it," Batman asked, his impatience growing. "How long did he train with you?"  
  
Wayne snorted. "Two and a half years." Beneath his cowl, Terry's brow knitted.  
  
"What is he exactly?"  
  
"I know as much as you do on that subject."  
  
Terry grunted. A sound drifted up to him, and caught his attention. A scream. "Something's up. I'm checking it out," the Batman stated as he leapt into the air and began to plummet downward. At the last possible instant, Batman snapped his wings up, and tackled a small group surrounding a young woman. The woman screamed and backed her self against a wall, as Batman rose to his feet.  
  
The five men stood, and Batman's stomach sank to his ankles. Vampires. All five of them were vampires. Batman slid into a defensive crouch, and flipped a batarang into his hand.  
  
"You alright," Terry asked the young woman against the wall. He was answered with a chuckle. "Great," he moaned as she joined her companions.  
  
As a unit, the pack of Vampires leapt at Terry. On pure gut instinct, Terry hurled the batarang before he jumped into the air. The sharp edge sliced completely through the neck of the female vamp, and with a choked sound, she crumbled to dust. Terry allowed himself a small smile as he somersaulted and landed behind the remaining vamps. He landed in a squatting position, and readied himself as the vamps did a 180 and ran back towards him. Batman then spun around with one leg outstretched, and swept the vamps off their feet.  
  
Batman stood, and surveyed his surroundings for a possible weapon.  
  
"Look for something wooden," Wayne supplied, a slight bit of pride in his voice. Terry smiled as his eyes fell upon an old wooden chair at the other end of the alley.  
  
"Gotcha." Batman sprinted forward, and grabbed one of the chair's legs. With a violent jerk, he broke off the leg and spun to face the vamps. Like mindless animals, they charged him again, and Batman stood his ground. One vampire leapt forward, ready to sink his teeth into the Tomorrow Knight's neck.  
  
A quick kick to the sternum sent the vampire flying. Another of the vamps sent a wild punch at Batman's face, which he easily dodged. The bat brought the stake up and rammed it through the vampire's chest. As the vamp crumbled into dust, the remaining four attacked at once. Batman fired off four batarang in quick succession, knocking the vamps back for a moment.  
  
This time, Batman took the offensive and charged the vampires. A quick knee to the gut sent the first one doubling over onto the tip of the make shift stake. As it crumbled to ashes, Batman spun around, connecting his foot with the temple of another vampire. He staked it before it fell, leaving only one vampire left to deal with.  
  
Batman smirked, and casually tossed the stake from one hand to another before motioning the vamp to come on.  
  
A look of shear terror clouded the vamps face, and he quickly ran from the Batman.  
  
As the vamp ran away, Terry leaned his back against a wall and slid down into a sitting position, his breath coming as ragged gasps. He looked down at the jagged stake and promptly dropped it like it was a poisonous snake.  
  
With a shaking hand he slid his cowl back to wipe the sweat off his worry- creased brow. "... ok... that was weird."  
  
He slid he cowl slowly back on as something shifted in the alley way and an old trash can toppled over. He grabbed his stake and stood ready, as a stray cat poked his head around a corner.  
  
Terry shook his head as the cat silently padded the rest of the way into the alley.  
  
"Nicely executed," Wayne said with a hint of a smile in his voice.  
  
"Very funny," Terry responded as the cat meowed curiously. Suddenly he stiffened, as the atmosphere in the alley shift, and he was greeted with the soft sound of leather-clad hands clapping. Terry turned, and wasn't surprised to see Nightmare leaning against a wall clapping lightly.  
  
"I'll give you this much, you did a hell of a lot better then I did my first time against vampires," Nightmare chuckled in his demonic voice.  
  
Batman unknowingly cringed, and dropped his stake. "What took you so long?"  
  
Nightmare shrugged. "I had to make sure you could handle yourself against vampire. You passed."  
  
Batman quirked a single eyebrow.  
  
The stray cat hissed at something and then bolted from the alley.  
  
Then came the inhuman growls.  
  
Batman groaned and resumed his defense crouch. "Do these things always travel in packs?" Nightmare doesn't bother to respond as the alley became cold. Twenty some vampires rounded the corner of the alley, nostrils flared with the rich scent of blood.  
  
"Divide and conquer," Nightmare suddenly whispered into Batman's ear.  
  
Nightmare charged straight into the pack of vampire, his arms fading into long black slices of shadow. He lunged forward, decapitating two vampires with a single swipe of his shadow blade. He spun around, his arms returning to normal as three more vampire charged at him.  
  
A patch of blackness ripped from the wall and flew to his hand. With a flick of his wrist the patch of shadow sprang out of his hand as a fist full of razor sharp ninja stars. The stars flew straight and true, slicing off the heads of Nightmare's opponents.  
  
Batman held his ground as six vampires slowly advance toward him. He remembered the stake in his fist, a cocky smiled formed on his face. He suddenly bolted forward, taking the lead vampire completely by surprise. The stake penetrated the demon's heart, and it was no more.  
  
The second vampire charged him, and the Batman leapt straight up. The bat- like protrusions on his forearms extended, and he let him self fall back to the ground, spinning 360 degrees and decapitating two more of the undead.  
  
Nightmare grunted as one of the vampire's talon clawed hands dug into his side. The alley grew deathly silent as ten pairs of golden eyes turned toward him. Nightmare's black lips curled back to reveal sharp canine teeth as a demonic snarl escaped his throat . The vampire with his talons in Nightmare's side quickly removed them and took two steps back.  
  
"Not far enough," Nightmare hissed mentally as the fingers on both hands extended in four inch long black claws. With a deafening roar, Nightmare lunged to his side, savagely ripping out the offending vampire's throat. A gurgle escaped the vampire's deformed lips, as he shattered into a cloud of ash.  
  
The ten sets of golden eyes glossed over with terror as Nightmare slowly turned toward them, the throat of the other vampire still dripping gore off his fingers.  
  
"C'mon," he hissed and took a single step forward, the vampires taking a step back. A full-fledged laugh came from his throat, and the vampires froze in there tracks. Nightmare's eyes suddenly began to glow the crimson of blood, he charged forward, shoving the spiked toe of his boot straight through the jaw of the first vampire he came to. He spun his leg around slinging the crumbling vampire into a nearby wall. He landed, letting his momentum carry him around, bringing the blade of his red gauntlet through the throat of another vampire. Meanwhile, he lashed out with his left hand and literally sliced a vampire in half with his claws.  
  
Letting the two dead vampires drop and crumble, he pounced forward, extending his already deadly fingers to an impossible length, sending them straight through five of the vampire's hearts. He pulled up, ripping the impaled hearts completely out of the vampire's bodies. Nightmare smiled at the last one, and the vampire backed himself into a wall.  
  
As The Batman landed in a crouch, the last five vampires pounced at once. Instinctively, Batman shot off five razor sharp batarangs, decapitating one of the vamps. The other four didn't falter in their attack, and still came at Batman.  
  
With stake in hand, The Tomorrow Knight bolted forward, staking the closest vampire to him. Two of the undead creatures attack at once, nearly over powering the Bat. Batman let the claws built into his glove extend, and he jabbed them mercilessly into one of the vampire's eyes. The vampire screeched in pain, allowing Batman enough time to stake him. The Tomorrow Knight shoved the other vampire off of him and stood to his full height.  
  
"Had enough," He smirked as the vampire regained his footing. It lunged at him once again. "Guess not." Batman waited until the vampire was right on top of him before shoving the stake through his heart. A smirk formed on the Batman's face.  
  
"Batman! Duck," Nightmare suddenly shouted in a voice the one did not disobey. As soon as Batman hit the ground, a black shard of shadow flew over him, followed by a disturbing gurgle and the sound of a vampire turning to dust. Batman hastily got to his feet and looked at the pile of dust behind him.  
  
"Thanks. I owe you one."  
  
"I'll take a rain check," Nightmare half chuckled, half grunted. 


End file.
